Broken
by ravendream
Summary: [SasuSaku] She never thought trying to die would break her in the way that it did. Or that it would break them as well.
1. Broken 1

O_O.... What possessed me to write this, I don't know... But I must admit that it disturbs me to my very inner soul... Heh, even the dark side of it *maniacal laugh* 

Yes, this is Sakura-centered. Yes, she does attempt suicide. Will she die? No, but that's not the point. I know many people hate the poor girl, but I'm not one of them.

Well, anyways, I hope you enjoy the story, and if you don't, feel free to review and say so. Oh, and feel free to flame me if you feel the need to as well. Me and my friends rather enjoy collecting all the flames we get, and sharing them with each other, and I haven't had much to share lately. If you feel the need to flame for any reason though, please leave an e-mail address or something, because I'd like to be able to talk to you, and find out why you didn't like it. 

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Title: Broken

Authoress: Bunny-Chan a.k.a. Kawaii Kokkei Tsuita no Neko

Rating: R

Inspiration: 'Scarlet' (Ayashi no Ceres opening theme)

Blood... It spilled out around the silver blade, and down her arm. 

"So, I'm just a burden, am I?" She spat the words viciously. 

He could have said anything else, couldn't he have? He could have just told her to go away. He could have just said again that he didn't love her, and never would. He could have just ignored her. 

__

But he didn't.

No, he had to go into a little more detail than that.

She was a burden to him. It was her weakness that always got in the way, and she was the reason so many things went wrong.

__

He hated her.

That was what he had said. And for a moment, she could swear that there had been a glint of regret in his eyes. But that didn't make up for it. 

__

That didn't take back anything he had said...

In fact, this time, it had been too much. She couldn't just forget about his words, like she was accustomed to doing. He had gone too far this time. 

And moments after he had told her that, she spun around, and ran home. Neither of her parents was home, so she had just leaned up against the wall, and stared blankly into the kitchen. That was when she saw it. 

A knife. _The_ knife. 

And she had taken it with her, and locked herself in her room. In her hurry, she had left the door open. And in her hurry, she hadn't noticed Sasuke following her. 

__

He was there now. 

He was outside of her door, and he could hear him yelling. 

"Sakura! Just open the damn door! I didn't mean it!" And of course, she ignored him. Still tracing along her arm with the silver blade. 

Sure, she was bleeding, but it released the pain. It made her feel better. That was good, right? 

She could still hear Sasuke pounding on her door. Part of her wanted to go out there and forgive him, but the other part of her had different plans.

*_If he wants to get in so bad, he's perfectly capable of coming in without my help.*_

Blood was everywhere now. Her original goal had been to kill herself, and make it all end there, but she didn't have the courage. Still though, every small cut was a step closer, wasn't it? 

"If I'm such a burden, then I guess I'll remove myself, now won't I?" She mused. 

"Sakura, open the god damn door!" 

She shot a glare towards it, as if she could affect the boy on the other side. 

The boy on the other side. 

__

Her teammate.

One of her "friends". Her friends, how could she have forgotten them? Or her team?

She let her hand fall limply to her side. She just couldn't do it. But she wasn't going to open the door for him either. She was tired of going out of her way to always make him happy, and getting pushed away all the same. 

It was his turn now. His turn to make an effort. 

And as if on cue, the door swung open.

*_Figures he'd know how to pick a lock...*_ She thought to herself sarcastically. 

And she knew what would happen. 

He would take the knife, yell at her and apologize. She would go to the hospital. 

Everything would be fine. Or at least for everyone else. 

Because for her, what hurt the most wasn't the cuts she had inflicted upon herself. That wasn't the pain she was suffering from. 

What hurt the most was that she was still alive. 

__

She had tried to cross the line of life and death.

Tried. 

__

And failed.

And because of that, she was broken, and the wounds on her soul would never heal. 

**((**))**((**))**((**))**

Well, how was it??

I think I might keep it at that. Perhaps I'll write some more to it, if I get the inspiration and the chance.... *shrugs*

Please, review, or e-mail me. Even IM me if you want. 

E-Mail: bunnyandmoi@yahoo.com (if it comes up as "over quota", then try smileimadorable@yahoo.com. Laura can fwd it to me)

AIM: sailorkino13

Yahoo! IM: pop_goddess_13

PS. Since so many people have asked, no, I am not 13. I'll be 15 in a few weeks. 13 is my lucky number, which is why it's in my sn. 


	2. Broken 2

Bunny-Chan: Ne ne!! ^__^ Peoples like it!! Kyaaaaa!!

Tsuki: *glares* Greeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaat, now she's gonna write more... *sighs* 

Sakura: I'M NOT SUICIDAL!!! 

Bunny-Chan: O_________O.... =^_____^= ....Nya nya!! My story, whatever I want to happen, will happen!! Nya nya!

Sakura: *death glare*

Authoress's Notes: Hey peoples!! ^___^. I got 4 reviews within 24 hours of posting the prologue/first chapter!! I'm so happy! Kya kya! 

Anyways, it appears that people wanted me to continue writing this story, so I guess I will... To tell the truth, I'm not much of a Naruto expert though. I've seen some of the anime (eps. 1-58, or so), and only read the manga that's been posted in Shonen Jump. But I guess I'll just have to try and write, ne?

Oh, and sorry, flashbacks might be a little off. The subtitles on the anime aren't very good (I didn't have enough room to download the really good ones offline, so I just bought them), so some of the lines needed to be shifted and edited. 

Um... There are slight spoilers in this chapter...

I think this might turn out SasuSaku, since it's my favorite couple for Naruto.

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To the Reviewers:

scorpion05- *huggles* Thanks for being my first reviewer! Really good?? *blushes* Thankies!! Yes yes, perhaps Sasuke will find a way. But of course, that's for me to know, and the rest of you to find out!!! *maniacal laughing is heard*

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Love From Vikky- Deep eh?? ^____^ I get that a lot. I figure deep is good, so thank you!! *bows* So nice to get a good review from one of my favorite Naruto fanfiction writers. 

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Mikami- Again, so nice to get a good review from one of my favorite writers!! Yeah, I know. It's really hard to find skillfully written fics sometimes, ne? *nods* Then again, I have a very, very high expectation level when it comes to "skillful". Mine aren't anywhere near what I call skillful... *sniffles* But I'm so glad you like it!! 

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X-Cry-Death- Update soon? Write more? Eh, how can I say no to the kawaii kitty face?? =^.^=. Here's some more for you, hope that you like it. 

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vivian- Really? Thank you!! ^___________^

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Wings of Chaos- Ooh... Interesting concept?? Yay! Yes, it would be great if I were to add another chapter, which is why I'm uploading this worthless piece of writing, lol. 

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Fruit-tea1- No, it's not too late a review, lol. I appreciate all reviews, no matter how late ^_^. Yeah... but I had to put Sasuke in there somewhere... He's too kawaii to leave out, lol. Hmm... Sakura/Naruto.. Maybe someday, lol *smiles happily*

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The Fellowship Will Succeed- Lol, hello Christina. Yes, I'll keep it up. You know me. I'm too annoying to not keep it up, lol. Thanks for reading, even though you're not much of a Naruto fan. 

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Lanna Suki- *sings* La la la... Oh, yeah. Well, maybe not a sequel, but certainly some more chapters. 

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Cherrie Berry Draco Luver- Updated! ^___^

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Naruke- I'd love to read your song, lol. Sorry if it was depressing. 

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Hehe- Thank you ^_^ 

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JiYouNg- Hmm... Me too. Sakura's one of my favorite characters, lol. 

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LightningCleave- Yeah, it is sad, huh? I cried while writing it, lol. I'm with you though, I could never do that... *shudders*

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OOoshortayoOo- Thank you for your compliments ^_^ Here's some more!

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Blah3- Thank you!

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im 14- Thanks!

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sesshomaru- *blinks and stares at your name* Sesshy-Sama.... @_@... *reads the rest of your review* O_O... Now I'm scared... Don't kill me!!!!! 

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Title: Broken

Authoress: Bunny-Chan a.k.a. Kawaii Kokkei Tsuita no Neko

Rating: R

Chapter Inspiration: 'Morgan- Armor Tristis' BGM from the Aa! Megami-Sama! movie, 'Sadness and Sorrow' BGM from Naruto, 'Scarlet' Ayashi no Ceres opening

His fault. 

__

Wasn't it? 

He was the one who was stupid enough to speak without thinking. He was just glad that he had followed her, because if no one had found her in time, then Sakura most likely would have bled to death. 

__

*I never thought she'd go that far... Did it really hurt her that much? Did I_ hurt her that much?*_

At this point, he hated himself. Sakura probably hated him, and he had already gotten a clear message that Naruto was extremely angry with him. He moved a hand up to the sore spot on his cheek. 

----------------------

__

Naruto balled his hand into a fist, and before any words could be said, he hit Sasuke in the face as hard as he could. 

"Understand this, I don't care how powerful you are, and I don't care what bloodline you're from. I don't even care that you're a member of my_ team. Just know that if you ever hurt her again, I will kill you."_

----------------------

How had things turned out like this? He had honestly never meant to go so far in what he said to her that day, but he was getting desperate. The closer people were to him, the more danger they were in, and he couldn't stand that. 

__

Not when she was involved. 

His instincts had always been to protect her. The time that they were fighting to protect Tazuna... 

----------------------

__

No one was left to protect the old man, so Sakura leapt in front of him, holding her kunai at the ready. What was happening so quickly seemed to take forever. He could see both fear and determination in her eyes. 

And then he was in front of her, ready to fight for her safety. 

----------------------

That had been one of the first times he had ever risked his own life for someone else. It wasn't the mission that had mattered to him then. It wasn't protecting their client. 

__

It was protecting her. 

Because he couldn't stand to see her hurt, ever. He clearly remembered the battle in the woods, during the second part of the mid-ninja test. Seeing her hurt, had made him so angry, that he would have killed every member of the team who was involved in the attack. 

----------------------

He woke up feeling so powerful. Something was wrong, he did know that. The power he felt was so different, and so evil. But it was power, nonetheless. And the first thing that he saw after seeing the enemy ninja team, was Sakura, kneeling on the ground. 

Most of her hair had been cut crudely off. Her left eye was swollen half shut, and she was bleeding lightly. 

"Sakura... Who beat you like this?" He asked her, having every intention of making the culprit pay dearly. She stared at him. "Who?"

"Sasuke-kun? Your body!" She looked near to horrified. He looked at the black marks that had appeared on his flesh. They didn't belong there, but they made all the difference in his skill. That was enough for him. 

"You needn't worry. It makes me feel powerful. I feel very good for now. That guy gave it to me. I understood finally. I'm an avenger. Even to sell my soul to a demon, I want to gain power." She seemed shocked almost, but he was being honest. "Sakura, hurry and tell me... Who wounded you?"

It was then that one of the ninja was idiotic enough to speak up. 

"Just me!" He said sarcastically. Sasuke immediately glared at him, and began to fight, never stopping till his victim was on the ground. Dead or unconscious, he wasn't sure, but he was positive that either way, he had learned his lesson, and would never touch Sakura again. Then he turned to the last remaining ninja. Ino had already taken care of the female. 

"Now only you are left..." He said, approaching menacingly. And he would have killed him. 

Would have.

But he suddenly heard someone scream behind him.

"No!" He felt someone's arms around him. "Stop!" He turned his head, and saw Sakura there. "Please!". She was crying. "Stop..." And the marks on his body disappeared. 

----------------------

He shook his head lightly. There was no use in reminiscing now. That wouldn't change anything. Instead, he let his eyes roam the nearly empty hospital waiting room. A young woman sat across from him with her young son. Naruto sat at the opposite end of the room, attempting to stay far away from Sasuke. No one else was there. 

Sasuke had gone back to the Haruno residence to make sure that her parents weren't wondering where their daughter was, only to find a note on the kitchen table. 

__

Hi honey!

Sorry, but your father and I have to go to your aunt's house for a few days. A cold has spread around the household, and they need some immediate help in keeping things running. Should be back sometime before the end of the week! Don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Love

~Mom

Naruto had gone to find Kakashi, to ask about canceling training for the next morning. But as it turned out, Kakashi had to take on an emergency mission, and wouldn't be back for a while. 

It was both disturbing and annoying, how the three people who could help most in this situation all had out-of-village emergencies that very same day. 

"Sakura-Chan!" Sasuke's head snapped up at Naruto's joyful yell. Sakura was walking toward them, both arms heavily bandaged. "You're all right!" 

"..." She was silent as Sasuke joined them. She cast an iron glare his way, which he suspected, yet it was still surprising, coming from the pink-haired shinobi. 

"Of course." She said, turning toward the exit. "Tell Kakashi-Sensei that the doctor said I'm not allowed to train until next week." She began to walk away, ignoring Naruto's surprised look. He couldn't blame the poor boy, she was acting so different. 

"Sakura." He could have kicked himself for speaking then, but it needed to be said. "We need to talk." He waited for a reaction. She flinched slightly, but still didn't turn to face him. 

"I have nothing to say to you." Naruto opened his mouth to speak, probably to say something to Sasuke. "Naruto, be quiet for once." His mouth shut automatically.

"Well I have something to say to you, and you're going to listen to me." It wasn't a request anymore, it was an order. And no matter how angry Sakura was, she didn't dare make him too mad with her. 

"I'll be home tomorrow." He nodded, taking that as an invitation. 

=========================

Sakura walked toward her house with a heavy heart. She hated this. 

__

Because she was weak.

First she couldn't handle Sasuke saying simple words to her, then she couldn't handle death. Was she always going to be such a failure at everything? 

__

"I have something to say to you, and you're going to listen to me." 

Why had she told him to come over? The last thing she needed was to talk to the likes of _him._

But it couldn't be helped. She had already told him, and if she was going to listen to him, then he was going to listen to her as well, whether he liked it or not. 

========================

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Author's Notes: 

Well, there you have it, the second over-written, undetailed, pathetic lil' chapter to my over-written, undetailed, pathetic lil' story. ^___^ I'm sorry that it was written so awfully. 

In fact, to tell the truth, the only thing about this story I like is the final chapter and the epilogue. (I already wrote them both out). This story will have 5 chapters overall, as well as an epilogue, if everything turns out well. 

Also be warned, there is character death coming as well. *ish evil* =^.^=


	3. Broken 3

**A/N: **Ugh... Yes, I know, it's been awhile, and I'm very, very sorry. It just takes me a very long time to update things usually, because if I write too much, too fast, then the already low quality of my stories drops even further. To tell the truth, I wasn't even planning on making this story more than a one-shot, but because of the reviews, and because I wanted to make something more than bloody suicide attempts happen, I decided to continue, and I'm very grateful that you're all reading this far. I reread the first two chapters today, and I don't even understand how I got you all to read in the first place, lol.

So anyway, I'm hoping this is as good as you all thought the last chapter was, because after one or two chapters, I find it hard to keep track of the story, the plot, and the characters, and now it's probably going to get extremely OOC, as well as horribly written.

Thanks muchly for reading, and happy holidays!. : )

**Replies to Reviewers:**

**deityofdeath1-** Thanks for the really nice review, and for adding me to your favorites :) I hope you enjoy this chapter too.

**Scarred Marrionet-** Yep, character death. Eventually... I hope you like the new chapter.

**Shiroi Hikari-** Oo... Should I assume you don't like Sasuke much? But yeah, the story is mostly focused on Sakura's feelings. I'll be bringing out more of the other characters in this chapter too.

**Hyourin Kage-** Thank you!

**TICODAS- **Thanks Brian. Y'know, you really should read Naruto, it's super-good. Come over sometime and watch some of the anime.

**Rel-** Love? Yay! I'm glad you like it so much, thank you!

**Shy-lil-Dreamer-**Continued- here it is.

**FanAdict-** For some reason, all I write is depressing, so yeah, that'd stand to reason, lol.

**MikaBlinks-** Well, I _did_ mention that there'd be character death, so you might get your wish.

**Someone-** I'm with you, I love SasuSaku. I'm glad you like this so far.

**TrickMaster-** Hope you like it. Next time I'll try to update quicker.

**Fruit-tea1-** Updated. :) Next time I'll update more quickly.

**KnT-** Great? Why thank you!

**SasuSaku-** Thanks. I hope you like this chapter too.

**Sailor Tiamat-** I'm glad you like it! I hope you like this chapter too!

**Mikami-** Thank you _so_ much for your reviews. You're one of my favorite writers, so I'm glad you like my writing!

**bleedformeee-** Heh, sorry it always takes me so long to update. I'll try to write the next chapter more quickly.

**Scorpion05-** Well, now you get to find out, lol.

**Wings of Chaos**- Thanks for the review, I hope you like the update!

**animEvivvErz- **Thank you soooo much for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too!

**Broken**

**by Bunny-Chan a.k.a. Ravendream (formerly Kawaii Kokkei Tsuita no Neko)**

As soon as Sakura got home, she read the note from her parents.

_Figures_, she thought bitterly, _They would never ask for my help. They'd rather leave me a piece of paper and an empty house. _

She wandered back to the living room, and sat on the couch. It just didn't feel right anymore- sitting there, alive and well.

She'd made such an idiot out of herself. Afterall, she'd only thought about killing herself to make Sasuke sorry. She'd been so selfish, hadn't she?

And now, aside from the hurt, part of her was terrified of what people would think. Of course, Sasuke and Naruto had lied about her injuries before she could say anything. Something about a cat... or a demon... or thorny bushes... Hell, she couldn't even remember, and she didn't really care.

What terrified her the most though, was seeing Sasuke. She wasn't sure what she could say to him, and she was scared of what he might have to say to her.

_What if he hates me?_ She looked up as she heard knocking on her front door. She had locked it, like always, and had no intention of getting up to let whoever it was in.

"Sakura-Chan! Are you there?" It was unmistakably Naruto's voice.

* * *

Naruto continued to knock on the door, used to going on till someone ackknowledged him.

However... There was no answer.

No matter how many times he called her name and knocked, there was no answer, and he had the feeling that there wouldn't be.

He had come because he was sure she needed a friend, and he wanted to be there for her. He knew that if it were Sasuke, she would've been at the door in a second.

_Stupid Sasuke. He doesn't even care about her, and she's still always all over him! It's not fair! I just wanted to help her... _

_I wanted to be the one to save her. _

He dropped a single yellow rose on her doorstep, entirely ignoring the fact that his thoughts were more than just selfish.

* * *

Sakura waited till the knocking and yelling ceased, peeking out her window to be sure he was gone. But as she looked out the window, something brightly colored on the doorstep caught her eye.

"What...?" Checking once again to make sure that Naruto was nowhere in sight, she moved to the door, and once she had opened it, she found a rose. Yellow, like the sun.

She picked it up, noticing that it had no thorns. Tears began to gather in her eyes.

_What am I doing to them?_

"Naruto... I'm sorry." The wind blew her words away like autumn leaves.

* * *

Just like could be expected, morning seemed to come all too soon for Sakura.

She wasn't looking forward to Sasuke's visit as she thought she might after a good night's sleep, which was rather dissappointing. But she still went about her day as normal.

The bandages from the night before had been flung carelessly on the floor. She didn't like them at all, and she certainly wasn't going to wear them.

Somehow though, she couldn't make herself throw them away. As disgusting as it was to have blood-covered bandages on her floor, looking at them reminded her of everything.

She was both heartbroken and grateful for the way turned out. It was confusing, but it seemed to work for her, so she let it be.

Sakura sighed and left the room, walking down the stairs and sitting in the living room. She had picked out a book from her parents' shelves, but couldn't concentrate long enough to actually read it. So instead she sat silently, staring at the wall, waiting for Sasuke.

Seconds passed, then minutes, then hours. Or at least that's how it felt to her. In truth, she had no idea how much time had passed.

And finally she heard knocking at the door.

And suddenly, she found herself unable to move, to let him in.

"Sakura, open the door." So like him to be straightforward and demanding.

She opened her mouth to speak, but instead of words, only a small squeak would come out. She cleared her throat, gathered her thoughts, and found the courage to walk to the door.

"Sasuke-Kun, come in." She walked away from the door before he could even respond, settling down on the couch again. She wouldn't let herself worship him again, and her first start toward leaving him behind was to act apathetic toward him- or so she thought.

Sasuke sat on the couch with her, on the opposite end. There were no other seats in the room, making Sakura wish she'd set up an extra chair.

Both were silent.

Sasuke waited for Sakura to say something, but she surprised him by acting like he wasn't even there.

And somehow, the room seemed much more comfortable to him, without the pink-haired shinobi doting on him, and begging him to go out and do something with her. It was obvious though, that while he was more comfortable, she was beyond tense.

"Sakura... I..." He couldn't form the words, and he didn't know what to say. He turned toward her, and before she really knew what was happening, he had his arms around her.

Sakura was shocked, obviously, but didn't move away, or ask why.

"I _never_ want to lose you. Please, don't make me worry again."

"I..." Her eyes began to well up. She felt so selfish, so rotten.... and still so unfulfilled. "I'm so sorry." She began crying then, and held onto Sasuke with all the strength she had at the moment. "Please... Forgive me... Please..."

"There's nothing to forgive." Placing both his hands on Sakura's shoulders, he gently pushed her away from. "Sakura..."

It all seemed to move so slowly.

Suddenly Sakura's hands were framing his face.

Then her lips met his.

And instead of pulling away... he was kissing her too.

* * *

A/N: Okies then... Yeah, that wasn't exactly good... But I hope you all at least liked it. I swear I'm going to try to make the next chapter super-amazingful to make up for this icky-ness.

Anyway, happy holidays everyone!!


	4. Broken 4

A/N: **(note)**Is anyone interested in reading a chaptered Zelda fanfic I'm working on? I'm waiting to upload it until I have it completed, but I would like some input. E-mail me if you're interested!**(/note)**

I rather hate myself at the moment, so I figured it'd be a great time to take up another chapter of this horribly written story. There are things I'd love to change from the first couple chapters... mostly because I've grown up a little and had a few experiences that now make me reread them and think "Wait... that's stupid.", but...

I promised to finish it, and I will.

Pre-warning: I'm thinking of taking back the promise I made in the first chapter. I don't know yet. I wanted this story to be rather short, so there'll only be two or three more chapters left, hopefully. I just need to plan them.

**Broken**  
By Bunny-Chan  
Chapter Four 

She had been wanting this moment for so long.

And with the shock of his response, she seemed to lose all ability of thought. She shoved him down, straddling his waist, her lips still on his with a bruising pressure.

It was all she had wanted since she had been a child.

Apparently she wasn't the only one who had lost hold of their thought process.

She felt his hands wander up to the buttons on her shirt that she'd worn in exchange for her usual dress, popping them open with ease. What had started as a simple loving gesture had quickly exploded into a release of pent-up passion. They were dynamite, fuses lit.

It was all she could have hoped for.

His hand ran through her hair, and she caught it, pinning his one arm down with a strength that was only available through this specific situation.

It also caused something to click in her mind, sending off the sudden thought, _I can't do this now._ She broke the kiss and looked down at him. It wasn't the first time she'd seen the obsidian-eyed boy speechless, but it was the first time she'd seen him completely dominated by someone. Any other time she would have felt proud. At this moment, she just felt as if she were doing something she'd regret.

"You told me you didn't want me around... but whatever _this_ is, it doesn't match up with that." She said quietly, half-hoping she was only thinking it and would just continue on. Sasuke propped his upper half up on his elbows, still held down by Sakura's body.

"Sakura..."

"You've _always_ pushed me away." She was growing angry and she didn't know why. She only knew that she wanted to blame him for... something. "You've _always _made fun of me or blew me off."

"I didn't wa-" "Save me the lies, Sasuke. I promised myself I wouldn't do this ever again."

She shifted her weight off of him.

"You can let yourself out." She muttered sadly, hurrying out the door while buttoning her shirt back up. Once she was out, she stopped for a moment.

_I should go back... What am I doing? What's wrong with me?_ She suddenly realized she didn't have time to wait around if she wanted to avoid Sasuke. Using her slowly improving ninja skills to her advantage, she quickly ducked around to the back of the house, then took off in a full, silent sprint.  
**------------------------------------------------**

She only stopped when she reached the schoolground, falling exhausted onto the swing she had once watched Naruto sit on alone.

Maybe that was why it seemed like a logical place to go. A single swing hanging from a separated tree in the schoolyard. It just _seemed_ like it was lonely too.

"Figures. I always was the outcast in school. I belong here now."

Her thoughts flashed back to the feel of Sasuke's mouth against hers and the heat building between their bodies. She focused more now on the fact that he had been opening her shirt. She had stopped what she'd always thought would only happen in her dreams.

"FUCK!" She yelled, as loud as she could. Then she broke down crying.

"This wasn't supposed to be like this! We were supposed to end up together, but not like this!" She was gripping the swing's rope so hard that her knuckles were turning white, but the pain barely existed to her. She collapsed into a torrent of sobs, ending only when she couldn't cry anymore. Then it was just a dull pain in her head that kept her from even trying to think. She barely registered the hand that rested on her shoulder for a moment before speaking softly.

"Sakura-Chan?"

She recognized the voice, but felt too much shame to look up at him.

This was just what she needed: First she'd scared them by means of a failed suicide attempt, now she was worrying people by being found crying in the schoolyard. Part of her was certain that she had a right to feel the way she did, but another (the part that her entire self seemed to weigh in with) wondered when she would finally shape up and start acting as strong as she had always tried to be.

She shut her eyes tightly until she felt the tears stop and then smiled widely at the boy.

"Hey, Naruto-Kun! What's up?"  
**---------------------------------------------**

Naruto furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. She had obviously been crying. Her face was red and wet. The delicate skin around her eyes had become puffy, and her eyes themselves were still ready to spill over at any second.

And yet for some reason she was grinning like she'd never felt better. She wasn't even yelling at him for coming up behind her, or touching her, or talking to her. Moments like that weren't just rare. They were nonexistent.

He used his fleeting power of observation to take note of the long-sleeved shirt she was wearing.

_To cover up the scars I guess..._

"You're faking it."

Sakura blinked, and parted her lips as if to say something. She repeated this a few times before she finally found a voice.

"What... are you talking about?"

"The smile. You're faking it." He sighed. "Look, I know you think I'm stupid and that I don't know anything, but I do know that if you were happy, you would have beaten me up by now, or told me to go away. I also know that faking it is stupid. Trust me, I know."

Sakura smiled just a bit, and he could see that it was real this time.

That small smile reminded him of why he had continued to chase after her for so long even through the ridicule and bruises.

He sat on the ground next to the tree, and she walked over to sit down next to him.

"I don't get it, Naruto." She said after a few minutes of silence.

"Don't get what?"

"What do you see in me? I'm..." She cringed, but she had to use the honest word. "I'm weak. I'm pathetic. I can't do anything right, no matter how easy it is. Why doesn't that drive you away?"

Naruto looked up at the sky, honestly thinking about her question.

"Well..." He paused for a second. "I guess because I can tell that that's not true. Okay, so maybe you're not as strong as Sasuke or Kakashi... but you're stronger than you think. Not only that, but you're more than they are, because you have a heart too. You're really smart- or... at least you're way smarter than I am... And-" He stopped again. "Promise not to hit me?" He asked slowly, quickly stealing a glance at the shinobi beside him.

She was staring off into the sky.

"Yeah, I promise."

"You're beautiful even if you can't see it."

He went silent, and neither of them said anything for quite awhile.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sakura shifted.

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She stood up and looked down at him. "You really are a great friend." She looked around. They could see no one from where they sat, but she seemed to be looking for someone anyway. "I'll see you later, okay?" She waved lightly and he noticed that the tears in her eyes had dried. "I really need to go find Sasuke-Kun."

Naruto watched her run toward the sidewalk. Once she had disappeared , he frowned and looked at the ground dejectedly.

"Yeah... Sasuke... right."  
**------------------------------------------**

Sasuke had tried to find Sakura when he left her house, but the girl was nowhere in sight.

His shock had kept him from immediately following out the door, which had apparently cost him enough time to completely lose track of her. After over an hour of blindly searching, he had given up, opting instead to stand at the wooden bridge that Team 7 frequently met at.

Suddenly he felt himself tense.

There was someone nearby. What worried him most was that this 'someone' didn't give off the feeling of any normal person. It was a familiar feeling. The feeling of death. The feeling of hatred.

He spun around, grabbing a shuriken and surveying the area. Whoever was there was obviously concealing themselves well. He growled, ready for whatever might come at him.

Without warning, there was suddenly someone behind him.

How the hell- 

He turned, ready to attack, and froze as soon as his eyes took in the figure.

Standing before him was a boy who shared the darkness of his hair and oblivion of his eyes.

"You're off your game." The boy said, regarding Sasuke with a condescending look.

"You'd better leave." Sasuke growled. He knew he wasn't ready to fight him yet. He would have to bluff his way through.

"Relax, I'm not here to start a fight. It wouldn't be any fun to kill you now. You wouldn't last five minutes against me."

"What do you want?"

"Cute girlfriend you've got." The boy grinned sadistically, and Sasuke steeled his face, determined to show no emotion.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"The pink haired girl. Nice catch. Hope nothing ever... I don't know... happens to her."

_Act like you care, and he'll use it against you._ Sasuke reminded himself.

"Oh, _her_?" He rolled his eyes and made a 'teh' noise. "She's useless."

"It didn't look that way to me when you went to visit her. Now I don't know what happened _inside_... but, well, I can guess." He grinned, and Sasuke found himself brimming with a hatred he'd never felt before.

_Keep bluffing. Keep lying. Keep acting. _

"I told her off." He said, having perfected his act of being nonchalant years ago. "She's been nothing but trouble ever since we started working together. I told her that she'd better learn what she's doing or I won't bother to help her next time she's in trouble."

"You're a horrible liar." With that, the boy leapt back up into the trees. Sasuke felt his frustration becoming unbearable.

"Asshole." He swore, punching the railing of the bridge until his the skin over his knuckles split.

In his anger, he was oblivious to the momentary flash of pink hair in the trees.  
**----------------------------------------**

A/N: The character that appears in this chapter will probably be terribly ooc. I've never used him before (any guesses?). I'm sorry. The other characters probably were too. At this point it's just hard to make them exactly as they all should be.

This is the last time I'll post the replies to the reviewers in a chapter now that they have the reply option when they e-mail reviews. If I don't reply, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate your review, I promise!

I love you guys sooooo much- you've all made me feel both loved and capable! Thank you! You have no idea how much I appreciate your time and comments.

Replies to the Reviewers 

**Sakura and Itachi Forever: **I take it from your username that the "no..." is due to the SasuSaku pairing? I love ItaSaku myself, but I don't think I'd ever be able to write it, sadly...

**Hellsingfiore:** Yeah, I get it way too well... And now, over a year later, I get it even more, and am so glad that, for the most part, I'm happy. Be a smiley person, you deserve it :)

**Selene Crescent:** I was actually hoping to hold Kakashi out of this story. When I started it, I wanted to make it simpler by using only Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. I might bring him in now, but I'm just not sure yet. And that's for me to know and you to find out. :)

UchihaSakuraXItachi: Wow, your reviews were such pick-me-ups, lmao. Thank you! Mezumi Azuma: Thank you! Miss Demeanor: SasuSaku just makes me feel all happy, lol. :) Let me know if you ever put anything up! 

**Soelle:** I actually find myself more disappointed in it now that I've improved. I'm just hoping I can still hold this story together. Thank you though.

**Empty Melodies:** Oh trust me, I feel bad for Naruto a lot too... One of these days I think I'll have to force myself to write a threesome fic just so everyone ends up happy, lol.

**susakuru: **Um, thank you, lol?

**ellamoony:** Thank you :)

**Shinobi Darkbeak: **Thank you.

**Namiko of the Ocean:** Heehee, I love energetic reviews! People like you make me feel all yay!

**just me:** Thank you! Unfortunately, no lemon. Probably not even lime. I'm just not good at them.

**Ichigo Engine: **Thank you :)

**Dagorwen of Beleriand:** Well, I'm assuming the update didn't come as quickly as you were hoping... Sorry :x

**Sparkling-Ruby Gem:** Thank you! And I'm sorry the update took so long!

**Demoneyes 14:** Sasuke was the character I was worried most about capturing actually, so I really appreciate that!

**mango: **Thank you!

**the-bird-flies:** Aww, yay, thank you:D

**Luv's-lyric: **Yeah, OOC is just so hard to avoid when you're writing a fic with stuff like this, unfortunately... Thank you for the note, and for the review :)

**Black Dice: **Mmm, my partner in crime and Naruto-love. I'm surprised you didn't complain of the Sakura and Sasuke making out stuff, lol, but thanks for being such a faithful reader! Ily.

**deity of death1:** Ouch, Sasuke better watch out for you, lol! Hm, I dunno, I believe it's love. But I'm a hopeless romantic. Thank you!

**scorpion05: **I'm starting to think I will make something happy happen for Naruto before the end. All the reviews are reminding me how sad it must be for him!


	5. Broken 5

A/N: Wow... I guess I missed when the Naruto archive exploded into such a popular place, lmao. The amount of fanfics posted and updated every day is rather astonishing...

Anyway, I've never written a story using Itachi before... never attempted, never practiced... If he's terribly ooc, then I'm sorry. There aren't many chapters left of this story, so hopefully I'll be getting the final ones out quickly.

Another prewarning... This story won't have a 'happily-ever-after' ending. Obviously I won't say why... but I promised myself this wouldn't be another one of those stories where so much goes wrong, and then everything ends up perfect.

I've downed the rating for now, because this was set as 'R' when I first put it up, before they changed all the ratings around. T is close enough to what R used to be. I'll reset it to M if I decide to make the next chapters as graphic as I was once planning to.

I just have one question. I don't know if anyone will answer, but I find myself rather curious about this...

Why do so many people hate Sakura so much? Personally, I think she's a great character and an amazing example of character growth. Of course, everyone has their own opinions, so I'm just a bit curious as to what other people think.

As a final before-story note, I want to thank you guys for making this my most popular story. I don't often write chapter stories- I'm usually afraid they'll be horrible - but this one turned out to be fairly successful. I appreciate it all the reviews and hits it's gotten. You guys are the greatest.

**Broken**  
Chapter 5  
By Bunny-Chan

Sasuke had missed the bright pink hair disappearing into the woods, but Itachi had not.

Afterall, he'd known she was approaching only moments after he'd started antagonizing his brother. Coincidences could be quite useful like that. He knew she would overhear what was said, and, even better, he knew how Sasuke worked.

He didn't know the pink-haired kunoichi personally, but he had been watching Sasuke long enough to know a fair bit about both his teammates: Foolish Naruto and fragile Sakura. He almost had to laugh at his younger brother's surroundings. Working with two nearly useless wannabe-ninjas, being taught by a man equally as foolish.

Of course, compared to Uchiha Itachi, those remarks could be made of nearly anyone. How else would he have made it into Konoha and to his brother's whereabouts so many times without being detected? He'd watched him train. Watched him 'work' with his teammates. Watched him fight battles with enemies that were far too weak.

In that time, he'd made observations concerning both Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. He'd especially paid attention to Sasuke's treatment of Sakura, and his contradicting actions.

He grinned, following the girl down the riverside, sticking to the cover of the trees as the rain began to fall.  
---------------------------

_I'm so stupid, why am I just so stupid!_

Sasuke's comments ran through her mind again and again.

She didn't entirely believe what he had said, but the romantic side of her wished he had handled it differently.

She was clever enough to know she had overheard something she wasn't meant to know about. She was also familiar enough with Sasuke to recognize his... as much as it scared her to think it... fear. Not a cowering, terrified and shaking fear. A steadily desperate, careful fear.

She kept telling herself that he must have said what he did about her as a cover.

_To protect me. Or himself. His teammates..._

It still didn't matter why he had said it.  
It didn't matter if it was fake.  
It didn't matter if it was meant with great intentions.

To her, it was a razor dragged through a fresh wound.

She knew she couldn't go to him now. She was afraid of what she'd seen in his eyes when she snuck a peek at the scene she'd almost interrupted. Moreso, she was still hurt.

_Well, what did you expect?_ She asked herself, more than a little bitter. _That he would step up yelling 'Don't you dare touch her!'? Sasuke's not stupid... he wouldn't betray caring... _

Unless he was telling the truth.

It was becoming harder to keep her footing on the wet grass, especially with her mind wandering so easily. The rains hadn't relented, instead growing into a downpour.

Suddenly she felt her foot slip out from under her. She felt the world flip upside down as she hit the ground hard.

"Ouch... dammit." The pain was like a small wake-up call. The slight hysteria was washing away, the importance of the matter growing in her mind. She thought of the image of the mysterious boy's back. She couldn't see his face. Only Sasuke's look of recognition.

"Who are you...?" She whispered to herself. "And what do you want with him?"

She snapped her attention back to her surroundings as she heard a slight rustle of leaves. An unnaturally loud rustle against the sound of raindrops.

_Something larger than rain must be moving through those trees..._

She tried to stand up, but her ankle let her down.

_Dammit...Must have hurt it when I fell._ She bit her lip, realizing there was no way she could fight at the moment. It wasn't a horrible injury- if she focused her chakra carefully, she was sure she could heal it well enough to walk again shortly.

Assuming that whatever was in the woods would give her the time.

She tried to focus on healing and surveying at the same time, causing the process to take slightly longer than it should have.

And when she was done, she was still alone.

_Strange... Maybe just a passerby? A ninja in the middle of training?_

She shook the thoughts from her head and limped away carefully, keeping her eyes moving at all times, looking for anything that didn't seem right.

-----------------------------------

Dark eyes scanned an empty room.

_No one. Good._

Completely worn down by the events of the last few days, Sasuke fell heavily onto what he considered his 'bed' (better known as a blanket laid down in a corner of the room).

Honestly, all he wanted was to sleep. He knew, though, that he should be trying to unravel his brother's reappearance.

He reran the confrontation twice in his head, each time with a different ending.

The first time, they fought, and Sasuke, holding a kunai to Itachi's throat, laughed as he saw the sharingan disappear, replaced with fear-filled eyes.

The second time, Itachi was destroying Sasuke. He saw himself thrown against the side of the bridge, one arm dislocated, and the other completely ripped out, floating slowly down the river. Shards of bone flew into the lazy water and the sun beat down on him as blood bubbled up through his lips. Liquid leaked slowly from the sides of a kunai lodged in his stomach. Then Itachi moved closer and-

He shuddered and sat up, realizing there was no way he would get any sleep tonight. Looking out the window revealed Konoha Village peaceful and quiet. A normal evening.

_Dammit. Why won't you just fight me now, bastard?_

Sasuke sighed heavily and walked out the door, carefully exiting the building.

_You've made too many mistakes, Itachi. This time, it's over. _

-------------------------------

Naruto recognized his teammate with ease, even in the dark, and despite the slight feelings of anger that still held on in him, he knew he had to stop and speak to him. Something seemed off with the Uchiha boy.

"Sasuke! Why out so late?"

"..."

"You're always so silent. It pisses me off."

"Go away."

Naruto felt himself twitch. He and Sasuke had been teammates for a good amount of time now. Enough time that his own worth should have been more than proved. Still, Sasuke seemed to be unable to treat him with any decent amount of respect.

"Hey listen you stupid arrogant jerk-face! I've had ju-" At that moment, Sasuke turned and put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"You never change, Naruto. You can always be counted on to stay the same." Naruto blinked in surprise, insults forgotten.

---------------------------------

_When hours had passed without a sound out of place, she thought it was safe. She walked out of the house, only slightly more careful than usual._

---------------------------------

"Is that a... good thing?" Sasuke allowed himself to smile lightly, but Naruto wasn't sure if it was genuine, or a smug smirk. He was too used to being put down.

---------------------------------

_When she first got the feeling that she was not alone, it was at the edge of town, near the woods._

---------------------------------

"I don't know." The two boys looked at each other. "I can't explain now, but I'm going to do my best to keep away from everyone for a little while. Take care of her for me." Naruto's eyes widened as Sasuke began to walk away.

---------------------------------

_Slightly panicked, she turned to run home. She wanted to be warm in her bed. Safe._

---------------------------------

"You're just going to leave her!" He cried. "First you nearly kill her, and now you're going to just walk away!"

---------------------------------

_When she turned, she saw him. She saw his long black hair. In his eyes, she saw something that made her stomach turn- the sharingan. A trait only members of the Uchiha clan posessed. She made an immediate connection. She knew, now, who had come to Sasuke earlier. She knew who had been in the woods._

---------------------------------

"I told you- I can't explain now. It's for the best." Naruto clenched his fist, using every bit of strength to refrain from turning around and hitting him.

---------------------------------

_Terrified, she began to run without a word._

---------------------------------

"She loves you." He said it so quietly he almost wasn't sure if Sasuke could hear it. "You push her away and hurt her, and she'll still say it with pride."

---------------------------------

_She always kept in mind that a good ninja remains prepared. She reached for a kunai and a handful of throwing stars. She could hear him coming closer. She was prepared to fight._

---------------------------------

"... I know."

---------------------------------

_She knew the woods well enough to know where she was going, even in the dark. When she felt like she had gone far enough, she spun around, throwing the stars as she did so. She could not see him anywhere, and the soft sound of metal forced into wood confirmed that he had not been anywhere in her throwing range._

---------------------------------

"I'll let you go, but first I want you to answer one question for me." Naruto stayed silent for a moment before carefully continuing. "Do you love her?"

---------------------------------

_She sensed it a moment before she felt it. A heavy weight threw her into the closest tree. She could feel the warmth of his body pressing against her back and the cool point of a kunai pressed firmly to her throat. "Sorry, _Sakura_." The voice that whispered into her ear reminded her too much of Sasuke's. It was the indifference. The arrogance. "I'm going to need your help."_

---------------------------------

Sasuke looked over his shoulder at Naruto. The boy looked as if something in him was on the verge of breaking. "...Yes. I do."

---------------------------------

_Sometimes we make terrible mistakes  
__and then while we come to overlook a little like onlookers,  
__we start to walk as if nothing had happened,  
but I remember today that the fighting never ends_

_Maybe everyone, in order to protect love, maybe everyone wishes to believe in something_

--"Forgiveness", Ayumi Hamasaki

----------------------------

**A/N:** Okay... planning is done, and as it's looking so far, there will be two more chapters. Both of these should come relatively quickly... I'm hoping to tie this story up before I start my college classes. Hopefully the end of this one wasn't awkward as far as switching back and forth. It felt like the only right way to do it.

I kind of regret not making room in hear to show off Sakura's strong side. I guess it will have to wait until I write my next story story. I don't think there's really room in this one to do it.


	6. Broken 6

**A/N**: Firstly: These characters are getting away from me fast... so the characterization is probably quite off in this...

Secondly: I'm sure this doesn't need to be said, but, though I have no idea where in the series I'd place this story as happening, it doesn't follow the real storyline after that point. I really can't wait to start my AU so I don't have to worry about staying correct or putting up notes when I go off the timeline.

Thirdly: I'm just giving up e-mailing reviewers when the chapters are posted. I started that before the alerts were made and promised myself I'd keep it up anyway, but it's frustrating to go through the e-mail addresses and make sure I have everyone and all that... Sorry if this inconveniences any of the readers who used those e-mail messages instead of the alerts.

And the final note... I've started a SasuSakuNaru one-shot/drabble collection titled 'Harmony' if any of you are interested in reading.

**Broken**  
Chapter Six  
By Bunny-Chan 

She sniffled a little, though she had promised herself that she wouldn't cry. She tried to focus on more optimistic things.

_At least I hadn't paid yet to clean the stains from this dress._ She thought bitterly.

She had changed before going out that night, feeling too restricted by the long sleeved shirt she'd worn to cover her arms. It had felt good to be in her usual attire again. It had felt comfortable, and comfort was something she had desperately needed.

It had also given her a slightly better chance against her attacker, though not enough to make a difference. She was used to fighting in it, yes, but a simple outfit didn't make up for the difference between her level and the level of the boy who had introduced himself as Itachi.

She had no recollection of what happened after he had caught up with her the first time. She faintly remembered escaping, and nothing more. When she awoke, she was propped up against a wall, sitting on a bed, wrists bound tightly together and in too much pain to even bother trying to escape.

She had been sitting there for what seemed like hours. Watching as her captor came and went, sorting through weapons, or occasionally glancing at her before pacing the small dark room.

_Where are we anyway...? _The question was pointless to begin with- she could see no windows. There was no sound coming from outside that she could hear. No hints as to their location, or even what time it was.

Frustrated, she hit her head lightly against the wall, cringing when she the action brought more pain than she'd expected. She closed her eyes, hoping that maybe her intelligence would give rise to some solution.

"Eat."

"Huh?" She looked down at the small plate of bread Itachi held out to her, then up at him. His eyes were cast to the side and his lips were pressed tight, almost as if he were angry with himself.

"It's my fault you've become involved in this." His face twitched slightly. The words seemed forced. "The least I can do is give you food."

Sakura was quite compelled at that point to spit out some rather choice words, but the more sensible side of her told her that she had no idea what was coming next. She wouldn't survive long if she turned down every offer of food or water. And who knew if there would even _be_ another offer? She hesitated for a moment, but her sensible side won out over her proud one.

"... My hands are tied. I can't eat like this." His mouth twitched again, but he set down the plate and reached for a kunai.

"I'm only going to give you one warning. I am stronger than you. If you even step one foot out of this place, I _will_ make you regret it." She nodded slightly, again fighting the urge to cry as she felt the ropes fall away.

"Thank you." She grudgingly muttered under her breath, watching as he walked away to sit in the corner, eyes closed.

_Listen carefully... Wait for even breathing... _

It didn't take long before she could hear his breathing even out, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

_It should be safe... I just have to be silent. If I can make it back to the village... It'll be fine. _

A sudden wave of apprehension hit her, but there was an unsettling thought that just wouldn't let go.

_No one knows I'm here. No one will be coming to save me this time. _Silent steps were a practiced art for her by now. The hardest part were the few steps it would take to pass by Itachi's sleeping form.

One.

_So far so good..._

Two.

_Just one more, and I'll be at the exit..._

Three.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" The hand gripping her wrist was nearly crushing it. Before she could open her mouth to reply, he threw her down. Her back hit the floor hard and, in a flash, he was on top of her, pinning her down.

"I was only-" "Shut up! Don't bother lying to me. I don't take kindly to being underestimated." He freed one of her arms to grab a handful of her pink hair. Sakura gasped with pain.

"Why are you doing this!" She finally cried out. Between his shock at her sudden outburst and an unexpected strength rising in her, she found herself able to wrestle his hand from her hair and squirm out from under him, backing away with tears in her eyes. "Why can't you just let me go!"  
--------------------------------

_"...Yes. I do."_

Sasuke's words kept ringing through Naruto's head.

_He... loves her?_

While it was true that Sasuke had become much more protective of Sakura since team 7 had been formed, he had never (as far as Naruto had seen, anyway) seen the dark-eyed boy show open affection toward her.

He knew something had happened between them back in the Forest of Death, but, having been unconscious, he still had no idea what had taken place. From that point on, he had seen the dynamic in Sakura and Sasuke's relationship changing slightly...

But love?

He'd never seen love between them.

Not mutual, anyway.

For years, he had honestly liked Sakura. He had tried his hardest to get her attention, but even when it worked, it was usually just her putting him down.

Deep down, he knew that no matter what he did, he would never measure up to Sasuke. At least not in her eyes, and it seemed like that was all that really mattered to him.

"Oh, Na-Naruto-kun..."

"Oi?" He looked behind him to see a familiar young girl. "Ah, Hinata!" Hearing her own name caused her to turn bright red.

_I'll never understand this girl...but she's a friend. I could use a friend right now. _

"Hey, Hinata... I was about to go out and get some ramen. Wanna come with?" The girl turned even redder, so much so that Naruto was almost afraid she would actually explode.

"YES! I mean... Of-of course... Naruto-kun..."  
_--------------------------------_

"You know my brother."

"But I-"

"He's becoming stronger." Sakura fell silent. "Too strong. It won't be much longer before he's stronger than I am." He had been looking away, but his eyes moved to fall on her.

_Sasuke-kun does that too..._ She shuddered slightly.

"But why... How am I supposed to affect that?"

"Shinobi were once known for their apathy. In stories, they are told of as being heartless. Weapons and nothing more." A sudden image of a masked boy they had met on their first real mission flashed into her head, but Itachi continued on, recapturing her attention. "But now... It's more and more common to see strong shinobi driven mad when the ones they love are put in danger. This madness can be a shinobi's greatest asset..." He turned to face her completely. "More often, it is his ruin."

"You're going to use me to make him falter...?"

"I cannot afford to die yet, and I'm quite certain he won't give up his quest for revenge. I should have killed him years ago... but I'll just have to do it now."

"You made a mistake..." She said quietly. "Sasuke won't die for me."

"I guess we'll just have to see then."  
_--------------------------------_

As Itachi looked down at the pink-haired kunoichi, he realized just how easy it was all going to be.

He wouldn't even have to damage her _too_ much.

Someone else had saved him the trouble.

_I had better get to work.  
__--------------------------------_

Sasuke moved quickly and quietly through the shadows. He had tried to plan it as easily as possible: He would tell only Naruto a few vague details, then slip back to his apartment, put together just a few of his meager belongings, and disappear from the village until it was safe again.

It seemed foolproof... but when he went to open his door, he got the distinct feeling that something wasn't right.

_Someone was here..._

Whoever it was, however, was giving off no trace of chakra now, leaving two possibilities. One, they had left. Two, they were clever enough to hide themselves completely.

Never trusting optimism, he kicked the door open, kunai in hand.

His empty room contained no places to hide, so when he was met with nothing, he relaxed.

_Wait... what's this?_ His attention turned to something bright red lying in the blanket he called a bed. The color jumped out at him immediately, but he unfolded it to be sure.

_Sakura's dress...?_

A small piece of paper fell from a fold in the dress. Scribbled messily were the words 'You know where.'

"Fuck."  
_--------------------------------_

He reached the bridge breathless, immediately scanning the area.

On the other side, he could see a pink-haired figure set on the ground, back against the end of the bridge's railing.

_Sakura!_ He was running toward her before her name even flashed into his mind. He had barely reached her when he realized something was wrong. Still, he didn't hesitate to rush to her, kneeling before her to survey her injuries.

"Sakura! Are you hurt? Can you hear me?"

Her eyes were slightly open, but she seemed to be drifting in and out of consciousness. Sasuke lifted a hand to her face, feeling cool skin beneath his fingers. He called her name a few more times, but she didn't respond.

"What did he do to you...?"

She was dressed only in her underclothes. The right strap of her bra had snapped, revealing her breast, a rather deep cut etched into it. Bruises trailed down her sides and upper thighs. The same bruises decorated her wrists, almost covering them. Bruises the size and shape of fingerprints.

_Bastard!_

The bruises weren't what concerned him most. What really caught his attention was the blood that appeared to have bubbled up from her mouth, leaving a thin trail leading from her partially swollen lips. The bruises would heal over time, but internal damage could be fatal, and he didn't have any idea where the damage had occurred.

"She was prettier a few hours ago." The smooth, cold voice that had once instilled fear in him now brought forth a burning hatred. "Of course, she was too ruined even before I got to her to be much fun..."

"Fuck you!" Sasuke's hands flew to his kunai, eyes closing, then opening again to reveal the sharingan.

Itachi's grin only widened. "You'd better be quick, by the way."

Sasuke growled.

"She's dying."  
_--------------------------------_

**A/N:** Next chapter is the last... Again, sorry for the ooc-ness... It's just become difficult for some reason.

Also... I just didn't find room to bring up the Akatsuki. I didn't change the fact that Itachi is part of the Akatsuki. It was just kind of left out.


	7. Broken 7

**A/N:** Okay... I'll be honest: I hate where this fanfic has gone. I liked it in the beginning when I started writing, but that was in 2003 and now it's started to seem more than slightly ridiculous. It was started at a time when I knew very little of the Naruto plotline (probably because Naruto hadn't even gotten _that_ far by then), which is why the plot makes absolutely no sense next to the actual story. For the sake of tidiness, I'm going to say this takes place somewhere before Sasuke leaves and then just says "Screw you" to the actual storyline and takes off in its own little direction. I'm only finishing this because I don't believe in giving up, I suppose. (And can we also ignore that fact that Sasuke's practically kicking Itachi's ass? I'm following my original chapter outlines... which probably wasn't the greatest idea).

This is the last chapter, but sometime in the next month or so, I'll start posting chapters of my ItaSakuSasu AU, Like Nicotine, which I can promise is much, much better, as is the rest of my Naruto work.

For any of you who are Ayumi Hamasaki fans and have the song "Moments (Acoustic Piano Version)", I really suggest that you play it during this chapter.

**Broken  
**The End  
By Bunny-Chan

"She's dying."

The words spread through Sasuke like a wildfire, leaving a burning energy through his body that he'd never thought himself capable of. It was not a feeling of chakra increasing. It was something he had only felt once before - the moment in the chuunin exam when the curse seal had first awakened at the need to avenge Sakura's beating at the hands of the sound ninja Zaku.

But he knew the curse had not reawakened.

It didn't matter how he'd gained the power he felt flowing through him. What mattered was that Uchiha Sasuke was pissed and ready to take out some long-collected aggression.

"You're _dead_." The movement happened so quickly that Itachi, having underestimated his younger brother by not yet activating the sharingan, could not see it.

Sasuke disappeared, and almost immediately, reappeared behind the older shinobi, targeting his shoulder with a kunai- a move that would have temporarily taken down any other ninja. To Uchiha Itachi, however, it was an amateur move, even if shockingly quick, and he managed to just block it before Sasuke disappeared again.

"You're going to regret the day you came back to this village."  
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Naruto had never been as intuitive as many of his fellow shinobi, but deep down he had the feeling that something was wrong.

He knew Sasuke hadn't left.

That night had been surprisingly fun. He'd never expected to enjoy going out with Hinata, but once she stopped stuttering, conversation between them had actually picked up.

Still, he had had a hard time forcing Sasuke and Sakura out of his mind.

After taking Hinata home, he'd gone to Sasuke's, only to find the door unlocked and partially open. The first sign that something had gone awry with Sasuke's plans was the backpack set against the wall, ready to go.

Then he saw something that made his heart stop completely: In the middle of the empty room was the exact red dress that Sakura had worn almost every day for the past few years. At first he wondered if maybe Sakura and Sasuke had gotten around to... well... working on their "teamwork", but he realized the absurdity of that thought after scanning the room again. It was empty of all life- even assuming that Sakura had had some reason to strip down in Sasuke's home, there was no plausible reason for her to leave her clothes there and just walk away.

_Shit... What's going on?  
_--------------------------------------------

Somehow... Somehow he was dying. Or dead. Or incapacitated.

Sasuke couldn't tell. He was fighting to keep his vision from fading, desperately trying to cling to consciousness. He had already bled out much more than was safe, but was also healthy, young, and trained to survive.

In front of him, Itachi was lying on the ground. A kunai was lodged in his throat, blood continuously leaking out around the metal.

Sasuke had simply gotten lucky- it was the only hit he'd been able to land on the older boy. If he hadn't somehow managed the fatal wound, he would undoubtedly have been dead by now. He was losing blood quickly, and it was possible that somewhere along his body, there was a weapon or two embedded in his flesh. His left arm must have been dislocated- he couldn't move it anymore, and the pain was so great that he had no desire to truly try.

He also had something much more important to think about.

Half-crawling, half dragging himself, he made his way to where Sakura was still propped up against the bridge railing. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he painstakingly lifted her up with his one still-working arm and began to make his way toward the village.  
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Following pure instinct and the light scent of blood revealed by his sharp nose, Naruto moved as quickly as he was able to, making his way through the woods easily.

He had not gone very far before he saw it: Sasuke was stumbling along the path, holding an unconscious Sakura awkwardly at his side with one arm.

"Sasuke!" He rushed forward, catching both of his friends as Sasuke's strength gave out. "What happened?!"

"He's... dead..." The words were choked out, and then the dark-haired boy fell into Naruto, arm falling from Sakura's side.  
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Sasuke woke to the most annoying beeping-sound he'd ever had to deal with. He recognized it.

_Heart monitor... Hospital..._

He forced his heavy eyelids open, immediately focusing on a familiar orange-clothed blond.

"Naruto..." The name came out hoarse and quiet. Apparently he really had taken a beating if she could barely even speak. It only took a few seconds to realize that there were tears running down the fox-boy's face, and he didn't seem eager to celebrate his teammate's awakening.

"Sa... kura?" One word was all he could force out, but it was enough.

"She... I'm sorry... I didn't get you both here on time... She's ... She didn't..." The look on his face was agony, and he couldn't continue with the explanation. Instead, he broke into a sob.

It was then, for the first time since he was eight years old, that Sasuke felt a tear fall from his eye, and before he knew it, he was crying.  
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**Epilogue **

"Uncle Sasuke! Uncle Sasuke! You promised to take me training today!" The small girl ran ahead of her mother at lightning speed, jumping into the arms of a rather uncomfortable twenty-six-year old Uchiha Sasuke.

"Hana! I've told you not to do that..." Hinata's voice fell quiet as her husband let out a loud laugh.

"Oh let her have fun, Hinata! You remember what it was like to be a kid!" Naruto took Hana from Sasuke's arms and set her back on the ground. "You'll have to wait your turn, kiddo. I've got to talk to Uncle Sasuke first. Go with mommy, okay?" Hana nodded eagerly and ran back to Hinata, who offered a shy smile and walked her daughter to the small garden they had started two years ago.

"Sasuke... How are you?" Dark eyes gave him a bored look.

"It's been ten years, Naruto."

"Yeah... I know... but I just feel so weird with you living alone still and always taking those one-man missions... It makes me feel like you're still mourning."

"I live alone because there's no one I'd like to live with." His eyes shifted from his old teammate and turned toward the sky. "And I take one-man missions because I'm not afraid to die anymore." Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"You shouldn't be ready to throw your life away like that..."

"It's not throwing it away, Naruto. I'm taking missions few others are willing to accept. If I die, I die, and I'm fine with that. If I live, then I live to complete another mission for this village."

"Well... I guess that makes sense."

"Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry about me. It pisses me off."

After a few moments of silence, both young men burst out laughing.

_Yeah... Sasuke will be okay.  
_---------------------------------------

The years had passed seamlessly, but it had finally come.

At the age of fourty-eight, Uchiha Sasuke's completed mission had also led to his death.

His last moments were filled with physical agony, but when the pain abruptly disappeared, he sat up in astonishment.

_I'm... healed?_

But he wasn't... his body was smaller and below him... was his adult self. He stood, and looked at his body- the body of a man who'd given his all, then looked down at himself.

_I'm a teenager again...?_

"Sasuke-kun." Pink hair blew in an invisible wind. Her smile had remained unchanged, her face frozen in the youth she'd possessed just before death. Not a thing had changed.

There was a light behind her; a light that folded out into a long path to a place he was completely unsure of.

But the uncertainties no longer mattered.

Sasuke took Sakura's hand, and they walked forward together.  
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**A/N:** There. Finished.

Again, I'm sorry for how this turned out. Especially the end, which lacked a lot. I really do plan on making up for it with my better stories... But thank you to everyone who read this, and also to all the people who left reviews. I appreciated the support throughout this story, and if it weren't for the readers of this, my very first Naruto fanfic, I probably wouldn't have had the courage to write more and keep improving. Thank you all so much.

If you'd like to read more from me, just keep an eye out for Like Nicotine, or go check the few other Naruto fics in my archive. They're way better anyway :)


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